by Arthur Luebbers

Created on: April 28, 2008   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

Anna Maria Island is a fun and exciting place for teens, and teens at heart. From para-sailing to jet-skiing, there are countless fun activities to keep even the most couch-potato of teens smiling and having a great time. In fact, there is so much for teens to enjoy that parents won't have to worry about keeping them entertained all hours of the day, and they should even be able to find something for their kids to stay occupied with long-enough to sneak in a fantastic meal away from the kids or even catch a romantic sunset at the beach.

For the teens seeking a soaring adventure high in the sky, there are several places to find para-sail rides that will take you high above the beautiful water of the Gulf of Mexico. Or, there are several places to rent jet-skis or even go wake-boarding. Of course, if you just want to relax, there are several beaches, most of which have playgrounds, volleyball courts, and plenty of water and sand of course.

If parents are looking for a relatively cheap and hassle-free way to start off the day with a good breakfast all while trying to keep their teens entertained, look no further than Holmes Beach. Located on Anna Maria Island, their cafe offers a delicious all you can eat pancake and sausage breakfast in the morning. If you ever dreamed of eating pancakes on a beach, this is the place for you.

Also, for the animal lovers out there, you might want to consider taking a sunset Dolphin cruise. These cruises give you an up-close and personal look at several families of Dolphins as they swim very closely to the boat, sometimes jumping up out of the water and splashing back down. The cruise guides are great at entertaining the passengers, especially the teens and younger kids. Sea-World, eat your heart out.

Even if you have a fear of H20, or Dolphins for that matter, there are still a ton of fun things for teens to do. Smuggler's Cove Mini Golf Course is located just off of Cortez Rd. in nearby Bradenton, and provides a great opportunity to compete with friends or family members for the ultimate honor of Mini Golf Champion. Do you have what it takes?

And finally, if you are looking for a great place to take your teens for a nice quiet dinner, save those plans for another night, and hit an awesome restaurant called Rotten Ralph's. Make sure you sit out on the pier because sometimes Dolphins come into the cove and it makes for a great atmosphere. The best part about this place, besides the killer food (make sure to order the nachos), is that there might be a time during your meal where you have to defend your food from Seagulls. Armed with water guns to keep those hungry birds away, it only takes one rebellious teen to fire a quick squirt of water at the parents for the whole table to break out into a no holds barred water gun fight. Enough said.

Come down to Anna Maria Island, and don't forget to bring your teens for great activities, great food, and even a water gun fight or two.

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